Personalized Cards From Cards Direct & WIN!
Cards Direct offers very nice personalized greeting cards for business or personal use. Over 2,000 card designs are available in categories that include holiday cards, birthday cards, thank you cards, photo cards, baby shower invitations, adorable birth announcements and many more! They offer free personalization and custom imprinted verse, Cards Direct makes it easy to order online and top quality cards with the best selection, customer service and pricing found anywhere.
One of my favorite times to send personalized cards out is at Christmas time. The Cards Direct Christmas Cards are so shiny and brilliantly made. I am having a hard time choosing which one’s my family and friends will receive this Christmas!
And, if you send Holiday cards for your business, your in luck! They have those too, and they are really nice as well. I especially love the Thanksgiving cards from this selection. It is a sweet way to say Thanks to all of the people you have worked with over the year (s).
Last but certainly not the least in the Holiday card category are the popular photo cards. The styles that Cards Direct offers, I haven’t seen many places. They are very unique to me and very lovely. I can just imagine the smiles on your loved ones faces when they open the card and see you smiling back. This is a great way to share holidays with people who live far, or that you don’t see often.
Another category, I found is unique to Cards Direct are their assortment of Birthday Cards. What a great way to let other’s know you care and haven’t gotten them, as on their birthday.
You can find more information on or make your card purchase at cards direct by visiting www.cardsdirect.com.
OR…. 1 of my lucky readers will win a $50 gift code to Cards Direct to redeem for 25 cards!
With products ranging from birthday cards to holiday cards to business referral cards, this is a time to stock up on the products that you need. And if you are a Blogger too, you can even order custom cards with your blog?s logo!
1 winner will be chosen via random.org. (Winner MUST be a USA resident)
Here is how to enter to WIN :
Follow Me on Networked Blogs (right sidebar) comment and tell me you do= 1 entry
Visit www.cardsdirect.com and take a look around, come back over here ,comment, and let me know what your favorite card is = 1 entry
Follow this blog, comment and tell me you do = 1 entry
Follow me over on Twitter (@plussizemommy) = 1 entry
“Like” me over on Facebook (I am under Plus Size Mommy) = 1 entry
Tweet the following on Twitter : “Win and create personalized cards from Cards Direct ($50 value) : http://bit.ly/cxqM1D ” – tweet up to 3 times per day (separate comments please) = up to 3 entries/day.
This giveaway is open to USA residents ONLY. This giveaway starts NOW and will end on Sept. 6, 2010 at 9PM EST.
Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize. Winner will NOT be emailed, winner will be posted on this site in another post.
Thank you for entering and good luck!
The Plus Size Mommy
*Disclosure – I was given a gift code as a Thank you for writing about Cards Direct. Participation in this campaign was brought to you by me from my connection with Global Influence Network (http://www.globalinfluencenetwork.com/)
P & G Home Away From Home @ #Blogher
As many of you know I attended the Blogher 2010 conference a couple weeks ago in New York City. While I was there, I got the chance to tour a replica house that was sponsored by P & G. It was called the “Home Away From Home”. It was a great experience. I love many of the P & G brands such as Bounty, Pur, and Cascade. The home consisted of Eukanuba & Iams on the outside, where they also had a cute dog you could meet. Bounty, Pur, and Cascade were in the kitchen. Swiffer, and Febreze were in the office, Downy, Tide, and Puffs in the bedroom. And Pantene, Olay, Crest, Vics, and COVERGIRL in the bathroom.
It was an awesome way to set it all up and tie all of the wonderful P & G Brands in together as 1 happy family.
I loved meeting the people and the samples were awesome.
I got the chance to discuss with some of the reps. how and why I love some of the products, such as VICS. I told them how VICS is a lifesaver in my family of Asthmatics, and how using VICS on my daughter when she had lung surgery and fell ill with a bad cold after she came home from the hospital.
I felt really valued and listened to as a mom consumer.
I just wanted to share with you this fantastic experience and let you know what a good GREAT P & G is, and how happy I am to see that they were a sponsor at Blogher 2010.
What I also learned there in the house that impressed me greatly was how P & G are making a difference. (And how I can too). They have started (in 2004) a P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CDSW) Program. Providing clean and safe drinking water to children in developing countries. They are using PUR Purifier water packets to make the drinking water so much better for these children. They are SAVING LIVES. By being an attendee of Blogher 2010 they have donated 1 year of clean drinking water to 100 families in the developing world!
What an amazing company. I will truly be making sure to buy my P & G products with pride, knowing that I am supporting a company who will be supporting others and helping children.
The Plus Size Mommy
Winners Post
August 17, 2010 by theplus
Filed under Family, Health/Fitness, Home, Library
Hello everyone, my deepest apologies for not posting this by the dates I had stated. I have been extremely busy and it seems I have overbooked myself on some projects. That being said, for these winners ONLY I am giving 1 week for response to claim your prizes. One week from Today, which it by 8/24/2010 at 1:30Pm.
Congrats to the Winners :
(2) Winners of The book, “How To Choose The best Preschool For Your Child” =
a. JoeyfromSC
b. Darci Wilson
Congrats and enjoy!
(1) winner of the Seventh Generation Gift Pack =
a. Queen Of The Click
Congrats to all of the winners, Enjoy your prizes.
To claim your prize, just email me at plussizemommy@gmail.com with what you won in the subject line.
Thank you to all who entered.
The Plus Size Mommy
*Disclosure – I was sent the same products as the winners above. Prizes will be sent to the winners from the companies or from me at my expense. I am not responsible for prizes lost or damaged in shipping.
Back-to-School Sanity Saver Tips from Annie Pleshette Murphy
With summer winding down, it’s important for the entire family to transition from a summer playhouse to a more structured environment BEFORE school starts.
To do this without loosing your sanity, Annie Pleshette Murphy a psychologist, author, parenting expert for Good Morning America, and former editor-in-chief of Parents magazine recently teamed up with OfficeMax to host the “Back to School Sanity Savers Blogcast” where she provided tips and tricks for getting your family prepared and your kids ready to head back to class without a hitch.
You can view some of Annie’s great tips below, or check out the 30 minute Sanity Savers video provided by OfficeMax by clicking here!
1. Roll back your child’s bedtime in 10-15 minute increments leading up to the first day of school, so they’re in the habit of going to bed and waking up earlier!
2. Schedule a nightly “Family Quiet Hour” to avoid the evening “witching hour” when homework time can be particularly challenging. During quiet hour, the entire family should turn off the TV and literally do something quiet. For kids, they can do homework or read. For parents, this is a great time to pay bills, read, do a puzzle with the kids, etc. This hour builds good work habits and also helps you connect as a family in ways that TV just can’t.
3. Kick first day anxieties your child may experience by trying to meet the teacher or a few kids in your child’s class before school starts. There’s nothing like having a few familiar faces to ease first-day jitters. And if it’s the first day of first grade or a new school, definitely do a dry run by walking or driving them to see the building.
4. Engage your child in the back-to-school process! Sit down with your child, read the school materials and fill them out together. Talk about his/her teacher, the room number, school supply list, and any after school activities. Most importantly, remember if you model calm, collected behavior, your kids will be far more relaxed as school approaches.
5. Setup a family calendar in a central location that EVERYONE can view. Color-code activities for each child and mark important dates for school on the calendar. Find out ahead of time what your child will be participating in and keep an eye out for conflicts. For the first week of school, don’t make any plans, so you can adjust as a family. And don’t forget to schedule down time as a family and a regular date night for mom and dad!
6. Create a Parent/Kid station. A clever, easy solution to morning madness is to designate an area near the door or place you walk by every day where you can set up a central station for everyone’s necessities. The idea is to have space and easy access to all the things you don’t want to leave behind. The parent’s station could include a space for house keys, spare change, cell phone charger, and inbox/outbox for your child’s school forms. The kids’ station should include a place for their sports equipment, lunch box, snacks, backpack, etc.
7. Buy school supplies early and let your child select items that reflect his/her personality. New school supplies can make the back-to-school process fun and exciting. Let your child choose items that reflect their taste and personality. When it comes to the almightily backpack, look for wide padded straps and padded back. Teach your child to pack the heavy items at the back of their bag to prevent shoulder strain. And remember, you’re child’s backpack should not way more than 10-20% of their body weight.
8. Create savvy shoppers by engaging your child in the school supply shopping experience. If you’re child is old enough, arm them with a calculator, list and budget and do the shopping together, considering the available funds. Explain that they can spend a lot on one special item – like a new backpack – but that they will then need to buy plain pencils or use last year’s binders. You can also teach kids that private brands like OfficeMax’s Schoolio product line are a great way to save on supplies while still getting fun designs and patterns.
9. Involved parents equals good, happy students. Several studies show that children whose parents are involved in their education do better academically and socially. Open the lines of communication as soon as you receive your child’s classroom assignment. Most teachers are accessible by email, so a quick note expressing your hope for a great year, eagerness to meet the teacher and willingness to volunteer in the classroom is a nice gesture.
10. Stay engaged in your child’s class throughout the year. Create a weekly report card that addressed your child’s specific challenges. For example, list 3-4 questions on an index card: Is my child keeping up with the reading? Getting homework in on time? Participating in class? Yes/No questions are best. Needless to say, having to hand the teacher a card is a good incentive for your child to connect with his/her teacher and a nice way for you to stay updated on your child’s progress.
Learn more about Annie Pleshette Murphy at annpleshettemurphy.com. Find your local school supply deals at OfficeMax or view school supply lists by grade on OfficeMax’s Back-to-School site. You can also find OfficeMax on Facebook or @OfficeMax on Twitter.
Shared by: The Plus Size Mommy
DIY Painting – Room Makeover & Contest!
Now that summer’s almost over and the kids are heading back to school, now is the time to help them refresh for the upcoming school year. If your tween’s room is in desperate need of a painting pick-me-up, create a fun, personalized headboard by applying ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape to form their initial directly above the bed. Then paint over with their favorite color, let dry, remove the tape, and voila!
It’s not too late to enter the ScotchBlueTM & YOU Renovation Rescue Crew contest, where one lucky grand-prize winner will receive a room makeover valued up to $15,000 and the exclusive opportunity to work with Amy Matthews on an episode of DIY Network’s Sweat Equity. Logon to www.ScotchBlueandYou.com for more details and how to enter.
Shared by : The Plus Size Mommy
Introducing “The Family Dish” #MyShoppingCart (SPON)
I have some extremely exciting news that I am finally able to share with everyone. I was asked by Unilever (you know the company who has awesome brands such as Ragu, Lipton, Breyers, Skippy, Knorr, and more?) to be a contributor to a new website that they have called “The Family Dish”. The Family Dish is a site geared to having fun in the kitchen with great recipes, and also getting your children involved. The mission is to reconnect families through cooking.
I can remember watching shows on television where families are cooking meals together, talking, and having a great time. Not only does this make for a fantastic family time, but also, your children can learn to cook and learn all of those secret family recipes.
As it is a family usually doesn’t have much time to spend together why with moms and dads working, kids in sports and activities. Homework, housework, and yard work that just doesn’t leave a lot of time. I have always been a stickler that we (my family) eats dinner together every night. That way at least we have that 1/2 to an hour to talk, and know whats going on in each of our worlds. Now with working on this project with “The Family Dish” I can make the time last a little longer with them helping me to cook before the dinner as well.
I plan on rotating my crew of 4 kids and spending some individual time with each of them in the kitchen. On some days I will also work with them on a meal as one group as well.
So, come on over the www.thefamilydish.com and see what’s cookin!
The featured Mom contributors are , Linda Sellers (Short Pump Preppy), Jennifer Leet (The Dirty Shirt), Tracy Reinhardt (Crazy Suburban Mom), Liz Latham (Hoosier Homemade), Carol Cain (NYCity Mama), April Atwater (Simply the Sweet Life), Cheryl Sousan (Tidy Mom), Jennifer Schmidt (Beauty and Bedlam), Jill Ann Berry (Musings from Me), Lisa Douglas (Crazy Adventures in Parenting), Heather Durdil (Domestic Extraordinaire), along with myself will post video diaries and written posts on The Family Dish website showing their hands-on experiences turning cooking dinner time into quality time with their families.
To help get families started, www.TheFamilyDish.com features an exclusive cookbook with easy-to-prepare, family-friendly recipes from the Unilever Consumer Test Kitchens, and tips from the trusted brands supporting the program: Ragú® Pasta Sauce, Hellmann’s® / Best Foods® Mayonnaise, Knorr® Pasta and Rice Sides, Skippy® Peanut Butter, and Lipton® Recipe Secrets®.
Also fun for the whole family is a chance to win a Family Culinary Vacation to Orlando by entering “The Family Dish Contest,” which asks families to share their own experiences cooking together. From July 25 to August 30, 2010, families can enter “The Family Dish Contest” by visiting thefamilydish.com and uploading a video about their best experiences cooking as a family. Twenty semi-finalist videos will be posted on the site for public voting to choose a winner. Public voting will take place from September 15-30, 2010. Official rules are available at www.thefamilydish.com.
For more quick tips, recipe ideas and to find out what’s cooking in the Unilever Consumer Test Kitchens, follow Lauren, Anna Marie and their team on Twitter @KitchenDishin’.
Thank you in advance for visiting!
The Plus Size Mommy
*Disclosure- This post was created in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador in Unilever’s Family Dish Program. For more great ideas, go to www.thefamilydish.com.
Introducing~Cascadian Farm’s Newest FarmVille Initiative & WIN!
Cascadian Farm®, a pioneer in the organic food industry, is blazing yet another new trail as they become the first official branded – and organic – crop to be offered in Zynga´s popular online game, FarmVille. Joining forces, Cascadian Farm and Zynga will provide an innovative gaming experience for FarmVille fans, breathing virtual life into real world organic farming within the largest online agricultural space.
Beginning July 19 through July 26, Cascadian Farm will provide FarmVille players with a variety of benefits including, coupon offers, organic farming and green living tips, as well as the opportunity to build up their farm quickly. During the week-long partnership, branded Cascadian Farm organic blueberry crops will be the most profitable FarmVille crop offered in the game, to beginner and expert FarmVille players.
The brand has also recreated the real Cascadian Farm, located in the Upper Skagit Valley of Washington’s North Cascade Mountains. The virtual Cascadian Farm will carry out the brand´s mission to grow good and honest food by encouraging FarmVille users to harvest crops that are free from synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. All of their online fruits and vegetables will be planted with the same ideals and values found in organic culture, while also sharing the rewards from playing the game with Cascadian Farm´s online fan base.
To further connect with other FarmVille users, Cascadian Farm has created an avatar farmer called “Farmer Joe Cascadian,” who was inspired by the brand´s real-life farmers. “Farmer Joe” will serve as the “virtual” tender to the brand´s own FarmVille farm and users can request to be his neighbor by “friend-ing” him online at www.facebook.com/farmerjoecascadian and by using the FarmVille application to become his neighbor in-game.
For more information, please visit www.cascadianfarm.com
Now you can WIN a “Cascadian FarmVille Fan” prize pack (as shown) that includes Cascadian Farm Fruit & Nut Granola and Harvest Berry Chewy Granola Bars, along with Cascadian Farm coupons and a game card containing FarmVille currency.
Here is how to WIN :
Comment and tell why living an organic lifestyle is important to you and your family? = 1 entry
Comment and tell Which crops would you plant if you had a real-life farm of your own? = 1 entry
Tweet the following on Twitter : ” Win a Cascadian Farm -ville gift pack here : ” – You can tweet this up to 4 times per day, please leave seperate comments with your tweet thread included to get up to 4 chances/day.
Follow me on twitter, comment and let me know you are , I am @plussizemommy = 1 entry
This giveaway begins NOW and will end on Aug. 1, 2010 at 10PM. 1 winner will be chosen via random.org. Winner will NOT be contacted, but posted to this blog in a winner post. So if you enter to win, please check back around Aug. 2 to see if you won. Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize. Winner must be a resident of the USA to be eligible.
Thank you to all who enter and Good Luck!
Shared by :
The Plus Size Mommy
Disclosure – the products, prize pack, information and additional prize pack to give away were all given to you from Cascadian Farm through MyBlogSpark.)
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Let Me Share With You, My Back Yard
These are pics I just took today from my back yard. I love Summer and I love spending the Summer in my Back Yard as much as possible.
Do you have gardens ? Do you love your Back Yard, or deck, or porch ?
Share with us your Back Yard story 
Happy Summer , ENJOY!
The Plus Size Mommy
Diaper Pail Test Drive ~ Munchkin Arm & Hammer Pail
For the past Month I have been “test driving” 2 diaper pails (alternating use of each pail every other week). The second diaper pail I will be reviewing is the Munchkin Arm & Hammer diaper pail.
Upon first opening the box on this diaper pail, I noticed it was shorter than other diaper pails I have seen. So I was concerned about how much it could hold. To my surprise, it held a lot (25 to be exact per bag).
This pail comes fully assembled and includes 3 Arm & Hammer® Diaper Pail Refill Bags. The odor-eliminating power of Arm & Hammer® baking soda combined with this clever and easy-to-use design make The Arm & HammerTM Diaper Pail by Munchkin® the perfect diaper pail system for today’s busy parents and caregivers.
Everyone is usually familiar with Arm & Hammer since a lot of people use it in their refrigerators to keep oders down. I am also familiar with it because my family has extremely sensitive skin and we use Arm & Hammer laundry detergent.
It definitely helped to keep the smell of dirty diapers down. Once I put the diaper in and it was sealed, I never smelled it again.
New bags are easy to load, and tossing dirty diapers is quick and easy. The patented self-sealing system tightly seals the bag and locks odors away, while the Arm & Hammer® baking soda cartridge safely absorbs odors and dispenses natural baking soda each time the lid is closed. A full cartridge lasts over 90 days, and refilling is simple (no need for a separate deodorizer). Each bag holds up to 25 diapers and is easy to snap, seal and toss when full.
The bag refills were easy enough for even my 13 yr. old to change, as it is his chore to take out the garbage every week.
I really think this is an innovative and unique diaper pail solution.
I never had a problem with oders and it was very easy to change the bags.
Both diapers pails I tried were good and I feel I could recommend either to a new mom or even a seasoned mom who isn’t sure.
The only drawback I see to the Munchkin Arm & Hammer pail, is the knob in the front, that opens the little door to get the dirtied bag of diapers out is easy enough for my toddler who is 2 to open. She potentially could get her fingers pinched if shut in it. Also, she is one of those kids who opens and gets into everything, so she has opened it a few times and tried to get the bag of soiled diapers out.
Parents may want to consider these 2 things when choosing a diaper pail. Otherwise, it does the job what it is to do, keeps your home still smelling fresh and clean and free of dirty yucky diapers.
Oh yea, and I would also recommend it being in pretty colors, as was my recommendation to the Playtex Diaper Genie II Elite company.
To learn more about the Munchkin Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail, you can visit here : MUNCHKIN
Other than that I was happy with the experience of being a test drive mom. I love and am honored to work with Mom Central as they bring wonderful campaigns to parents.
The Plus Size Mommy
*Disclosure – I am a member of the Mom Central community and I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive campaign by Mom Central, sponsored by Diaper Genie, and received a free Diaper Genie diaper pail and a free Munchkin Arm & Hammer diaper pail to facilitate my review.
Diaper Pail Test Drive ~ Diaper Genie II Elite
For the past Month I have been “test driving” 2 diaper pails (alternating use of each pail every other week). The first one I will be reviewing is the Diaper Genie II Elite by Playtex.
When I had my first child I had the older version of the Diaper Genie and I loved it a lot. It kept my baby’s nursery smelling fresh and it was so convenient to use.
So, I was already familiar with the Diaper Genie’s. (Or so I thought)
The NEW Diaper Genie II Elite is taller then the one I used to have. It is much easier to use. It has a step down pedal to step onto to open it (hands free opening means less germs to me). Then when you put the diaper in and step off, it reminds me of like a cookie monster inside, it “gobbles down” the diaper and seals the opening and it is all ready to go for the next change! I was amazed. Since it is taller, I think it holds more diapers then the older version.
The odors are sucked in with the diaper it seems because I didn’t smell anything.
The bags are a breeze to change and refill.
To me, the Diaper Genie II Elite is actually kinda fun to use.
Which is what I would say is the only drawback I can see…. My kids like to play with it, lol. I think they too are amazed at how things seem to disappear into it.
Actually they put a couple small toys in it that I had to “fish out” 
that wasn’t good, but that is my kids and my experience, lol (and my luck).
Otherwise, I love the Diaper Genie II Elite !
The only recommendation I would make to the company (Playtex) is to make them in more than 1 color. I think they only come in white, which seems to be standard with diaper pails. But I would love to see some pink, blue, pale yellow, cream color ones. This would be nice in the nurseries. I know that I did have a sticker type thing that went around my older diaper pail with my first son, but I had to put it on myself and it was all crooked, and a pain.
So, making them colors would be cute ! Theme ones would be cute too, like with animals, safari, cars, princesses, butterflies, and some other more common nursery themes.
You can read more about the Diaper Genie II Elite : HERE
The Plus Size Mommy
*Disclosure – I am a member of the Mom Central community and I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive campaign by Mom Central, sponsored by Diaper Genie, and received a free Diaper Genie diaper pail and a free Munchkin Arm & Hammer diaper pail to facilitate my review.
